Method of preparing textile prints



Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES METHOD or msranme 'rex'rlm ramsHerbert run, Cumberland, m, allignor to Oelanese Corporation of America,a corporation of' Delaware No Drawing. V Application January 6, 1934,Serial No. 705,588

6 Claims. (CI. 41-40 This invention relates to textile fabrics formed ofyarns containing organic derivatives of cellulose that have designs andpatterns printed thereon the coloring matter of which is a powderedmetal, an insoluble metallic pigment or an insoluble organic material,and to-the method of applying the desi n and patterns to the fabric.This invention. is also applicable to the printing of films, foils andthe like.

An object of the invention is the successful formation of fabricsprinted with insoluble metallic or like pigments and coloring materials.Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description.

Prior to this invention it was commercially unpractical to print fabricscontaining a large proportion of organic derivatives of cellulose withan insoluble pigment which pigment would cover the original color ofthe'fabric. By the present invention there may be commercially printed agood black that completely covers" white and that is not required insuch amounts that it will rub. Thus a good black that will cover whiteand not rub, smear or peel oil may be formed with lamp black as thepigment. This invention also permits the use of metallic powders such aspowdered bronze and aluminum for making gold and silver colored printsthat do not peel nor flake upon flexing of the material.

By this invention clean,-sharp metallic prints, firmly fixed onto thefabric are obtained. These prints are substantially permanent and arefast to washing and dry cleaning. The prints also remain clean and sharpafter lengthy use as wearing apparel and like uses where they arecontinually flexed and rubbed.

According to my invention I print by customary means a fabric, foil,film or fibre containing organic derivatives of cellulose with aprinting -aziaterial containing efl'ect materials mixed with acellulosic ether or ester as a thickener and binding agent and aplurality of solvents that are solvents for the organic derivative ofcellulose of the fabric or film and that maybe 501- vents for thecellulosic ether or ester of the printing material and that have boilingpoints differing somewhat widely from each other.

The material to be treated in accordance with this invention may beyarns, filaments, films,

foils, sheeting or textile fabrics and otherobjects formed of suchmaterials. The textile fabrics may be woven, warp knitted, circularknitted, netted or otherwise formed into fabrics. The yarns, fabrics andarticles may contain besides the organic derivative of cellulose,- othermaterials such as yarns or fibers ofother materials for example silk,wool, cotton, etc... plasticizers, dyes, weighting material and similareffect materials common to the art.

The material to hetreated may .contain any 5 organic derivative ofcellulose such as the organlc esters and ethers of cellulose. Examplesof organic esters ofw-cellulose are cellulose acetate, celluloseformate, cellulose propionateand cellulose butyrate while examples oforganic 1 ethers of cellulose are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose,but'yl cellulose and benzyl cellulose. If

the organic derivatives of cellulose are formed into films, foils orsheeting they may be incorporated with plasticizersand softeners andother 15 effect materials.

For the production of effects theprinting composition may containsuitable n'onsoluble effect materials. Examples of non-soluble effectmaterials, or those that are considered so for the 20 purpose ofdescribing this invention, are barium sulphate, zinc oxide, and othermetallic oxides and salts, bronze powder, powdered aluminum, and otherpowdered metals and metal alloys, lamp black, bone charcoal and similarcarbon 25 materials, fish scale essence, synthetic flsh scaleessence andorganic materials insoluble 'in solvents for organic derivatives ofcellulose and that have no special aillnity tive of cellulose.

The cellulose ethers and/or esters that may be used as thickeners andbinding material in the printing composition are cellulose nitrate ofany degree of nitration, and the organic ethers and esters of cellulose.The cellulose acetate ester-lends itself very satisfactorily asthe'thickener and binding agent when printing on fabric containingorganic esters of cellulose. It is preferable in using cellulose acetateas a thickener to select that cellulose acetate having a viscosity 40below 10 and more particularly one having a viscosity of less than 2.(The viscosities given are determined by comparing the viscosity of asolution of six grams of cellulose acetate in 100 cc. of acetone withpure glycerine, the viscosity of glycerine being designated as 100..

To improve the covering power of the printing material it is. advisableto have the effect material thereof in as finely a divided and dispersedcondition as possible. A method-of ac- 5o complishing this fine divisionand dispersion with improved printing qualities is by mixing the effectmaterial with the cellulose derivative and a volatile solvent inakneading machine to form a doughy plastic mass, working the plasticmass for the organic derivabetween heated malaxating rolls to convertthe same and remove most of the volatile solvent, and then breaking theresulting sheets into chips.

By this method the effect materials such as metallic oxides, powderedmetal, lamp black, etc., are much more finely divided than when they areground separately and added directly to the printing composition. Thereis effected during the kneading and rolling action a milling andgrinding action upon the effect materials such that they are more finelydivided and are more readily dispersed in the printing composition.

The printing composition is formed by mixing and dissolving in a mixtureof a plurality of solvents having difierent boiling points eithercellulose derivative chips containing the effect material formed by thekneading and rolling method or suitable quantities of effect materialand a cellulosic derivative thickener. The solvents may be used invarying percentages and combinations to give the proper viscosity to theprinting composition and to give the proper drying periods and similarproperties as more fully taught by the following examples.

In making the printing composition, there is preferably incorporated alow boiling solvent such as acetone, that acts as a thinner and alsogives to the composition the property of quickly biting into the fabricor film. This low boiling solvent also acts to quickly dry the efiectmaterial and binding agent such that they will not spread by capillaryattraction or otherwise to mar the sharp line of the print. There may beincluded in the composition a medium and/or high boiling solvent thatacts to regulate the consistency and drying qualities of thecomposition, examples of such medium and/or high boiling solvents forcellulose acetate-being dioxan, ethyl lactate benzyl alcohol, anddiacetone alcohol. There may also be included in the composition anonvolatile solvent or plasticizer that is a solid or heavy liquid atnormal temperatures which imparts softness to the printed portions ofthe fabric and which with the medium boiling solvent allows of a certainageing action of the printing composition and the organic derivative ofcellulose materials prior to the permanent setting of the effectmaterials.

Examples of such nonvolatile solvents or plasticizers for celluloseacetate are resorcinol and its substitution products, dibutyl tartrateand triacetin.

The printed material may be steamed after printing to remove any excesssolvent present and to further age with the aid of the high boiling orsolid solvent the union between the fabric or film and the effectmaterial.

The printing composition may be applied to the fabric by brushing,spraying, smearing, etc., over stencils or by means of printing blocksor rolls having suitable or engraved designs thereon, embossing machinesand like devices. The viscosity of the composition therefor will varywith the method of application, and the percentages of the varioussolvents may be varied within limits to give the desired consistency tothe composition. In printing metallic prints on velvets the compositionshould be viscous enough so that it will not be fed to the bottom of thepile but will remain adhering to only the ends of same. To aid inpreventing the printing composition from being too deeply embedded inthe pile of a velvet fabric the velvet fabric may be printed on aregular machine but with removal of any set on the print roll andavoiding of running the pile fabric underneath the driver or drag rolls.By such an arrangement the pile fabric is propelled entirely by theblanket and the pile is in good condition and standing erect beforeprinting.

To obtain a bright effect, particularly when metallic effects have beenapplied to the fabric, after printing the fabric is passed betweencalendering rolls. Conveniently the calender rolls may comprise a lowerpaper roll and an upper metal roll that is heated to a temperature of 60to 70 C., the printed side of the fabric contacting with the heatedmetal roll. To obtain a highly polished effect, the upper metal roll isrotated at a higher peripheral speed than the lower paper roll.

There is given the following formulae for printing compositions as aguide to the proportions of high, medium and low boiling solvents thatmay be employed. In place of adding a binding material and an effectmaterial separately they may be added in the form of chips formed by thekneading and rolling method.

Lacquer chips (cellulose acetate-metallic pigment, powdered metal orcarbon black) gms 8-12 Formula IV Cellulose acetatelacquer chips gms 200Acetone ccs 900 Benzyl alcohol ccs 200 Triacetin gms 10 Diacetonealcohol ccs 1,000

Having described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. Process for the production of effects on pile fabrics the pile ofwhich contains an organic derivative of cellulose, which comprisesapplying to the pile ends only a composition containi-ng an efiectmaterial and a cellulose derivative thickening agent in a mediumcontaining a lowboiling solvent, a medium-boiling solvent, and aplasticizer, all for the organic derivative of cellulose in the pile ofthe fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that it will adhereto the ends of the pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

2. Process for the production of effects on pilefabrics the pileof whichcontains cellulose acetate, which comprises applying to the pile endsonly a composition containing an effect material and a cellulose acetatethickening agent in a medium containing a low-boiling solvent, amedium-boiling solvent, and a plasticizer, all for the cellulose acetatein the pile of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such thatit will adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to the bottomthereof.

'10 of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that it willadhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

4. Process for the production of pattern effects on pile fabrics the,pile of which contains 15 an organic derivative of cellulose, whichcomprises printing a design on the pile ends only, while the pile iserect, with a composition containing an eflect material and a cellulosederivative thickening agent in a medium containing 20 a low-boilingsolvent, a medium-boiling solvent,

and a plasticizer, all for the organic derivative of cellulose in thepile of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that itwill adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to ,25 the bottomthereof.

5. Process for the production of pattern effects on pile fabrics thepile of which contains cellulose acetate, whichcomprises printing a deslgn'on the pile ends only, while the pile is erect, with a compositioncontaining an effect material and a cellulose acetate thickening agentin a medium containing a low-boiling solvent, a medium-boiling solvent,and, a plasticizer, all for the cellulose acetate in the pile of thefabric, said composition having a viscosity'such that it will adhere tothe ends of the -pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

6. Process for the production of pattern effects 'on pile fabrics thepile of which contains cellulose acetate, which comprises printing adesign on the pile ends only, while the pile is erect, with acomposition containing an effect material and a low viscosity celluloseacetate thickening agent in a medium containing a lowboillng solvent, amedium-boiling solvent, and a plasticizer, all for the celluloseaceta'tein the pile of the fabric, said composition having a viscositysuch that itwill adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to thebottom thereof.

- HERBERT PLATI'.

